The present invention relates to a permanent ink marker for re-identifying wire, especially electrical wire.
Recently, the National Electrical Code, Article 200-7(c)(2), was changed to require the permanent re-identification of any xe2x80x9cwhite, natural gray insulation or a marking of three continuous white stripesxe2x80x9d when used as follows:
200-7 (c) (2) xe2x80x9cWhere a cable contains an insulated conductor for single pole, 3-way, or 4-way switch loops, and the conductor with white or natural gray insulation or a marking of three continuous white stripes is used for the supply to the switch, but not the return conductor from the switch to the switched outlet. In these applications, the conductor with white or natural gray insulation or with three continuous white stripes shall be permanently re-identified to indicate its use by painting or other effective means at its terminations and at each location where the conductor is visible and accessible.xe2x80x9d
When a xe2x80x9cwhite, natural gray or a marking of three continuous stripesxe2x80x9d cable (or wire) addressed in Article 200-7(c)(2) above (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cgrounded wirexe2x80x9d for clarity of discussion) is required to carry current, this new change to the code requires the grounded insulated wire be xe2x80x9cre-identifiedxe2x80x9d so everyone will know that this wire is being used as a current-carrying ungrounded insulated wire. This change in the code was established as a safety precaution to preclude anyone from mistaking the use of the grounded insulated wire when used as an ungrounded insulated wire. Such a mistake could result in a severe shock or even death.
While the code was well meaning, it did not describe in detail how to xe2x80x9cre-identifyxe2x80x9d such wires. Article 200-7(c)(2) of the code states that such re-identification should be by xe2x80x9cpainting or other effective meansxe2x80x9d. To xe2x80x9cpaintxe2x80x9d the wires requires care to make sure that no other wire is painted or re-identified by overspray or an inadvertent swipe of a brush against the wrong wires. Furthermore, painting is messy, inconvenient and is not the common practice used today. The common method for re-identifying these wires is to place several pieces of electrical tape around the grounded wire""s insulation so as to xe2x80x9cre-identifyxe2x80x9d it as an ungrounded, insulted wire. This method is dependent upon the interpretation of the authority having jurisdiction and does not really convey to everyone that this grounded wire is now being used as an ungrounded insulated wire. Furthermore, with hundreds of wires needing to be re-identified in a typical wiring installation, taping all of these grounded wires with several pieces of electrical tape can be quite time consuming and tedious, and is not necessarily permanent.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a quick, easy and permanent way to re-identify wires, especially grounded insulated wires.